"This Day He Hath Spiritually Begotten You"

Perhaps even more significant than the appearance of the Twelve Steps of recovery within a single chapter, Mosiah chapter 4, is the context of King Benjamin's speech in the Book of Mormon. LDS scholars agree almost universally that this speech was held during the Feast of Tabernacles in the Old Testament. The references to sacrifice offerings, joy and thanksgiving, the coronation of a new king, the gathering, and dwelling in tents or tabernacles, definitely ties this event to one of the three required feasts of Passover, Feast of Weeks, or Feast of Tabernacles. Feast of Weeks (or Pentecost) was a single-day event and would not require pitching tents. Kingly coronations were held in conjunction with the Feast of Tabernacles, and dwelling in tents would match the requirement given in Leviticus.

Regarding the Feast of Tabernacles the Lord said, "Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 23:42-43).

Egypt was the "house of bondage" for the Israelites (see Exodus 20:2). Addiction is our house of bondage. If the Lord set up this feast as a symbol of recovery from addiction, then the events surrounding it, and particularly with King Benjamin's speech, are of paramount importance.

In Step Eleven we are seeking knowledge of God's will for us and to have the power to carry it out. Step Twelve speaks of a "spiritual awakening." The bridge between the Twelve Steps and a fullness of God's glory is the covenant path.

The name Benjamin means "son of the right hand." In what became known as "the Vision," Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon see Jesus Christ on the right hand of God the Father:

"For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

"That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God" (D&C 76:23-24).

King Benjamin becomes a type of Christ, who is the King of kings (Revelation 19:16). Later in "the Vision" it speaks of those who attain exaltation and godhood by saying, "They are they who are priests and kings (and priestesses and queens), who have received of his fulness, and of his glory . . . Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons (and daughters) of God" (D&C 76:56,58).

Becoming a son or a daughter of God means to become a god in this context. To become a spiritually begotten son or daughter of Christ means to inherit what He has and become like He is. Verse 95 in "the Vision" states, "And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion." The alcoholic, or addict, who was once "less than the dust of the earth" (Mosiah 4:2) is promised he or she can become equal to Jesus Christ as a result of His Atonement.

There is a play on words with the name "Benjamin" in the Book of Mormon. King Benjamin said, "And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ" (Mosiah 5:9). Those who enter into and honor covenants will be "on the right hand of God" to inherit all that He has.

The two things we seek after in Step Eleven, power and knowledge are manifest in the ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood:

"And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.

"Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest" (D&C 84:19-20).

"This Day" Is A Leitwort For A Covenant Making Day

It is significant that King Benjamin's speech uses the phrase "this day" five times.

"My brethren, all ye that have assembled yourselves together, you that can hear my words which I shall speak unto you this day . . . "

"and of all these things which I have spoken, ye yourselves are witnesses this day."

" I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day."

"I should declare unto you this day, that my son Mosiah is a king and a ruler over you."

"And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you" (Mosiah 2:9,14,15,30; 5:7).

In the Old Testament, the phrase "this day" is associated with a covenant-making day. Here are two examples: 

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve"

"So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day" (Joshua 24:15,25).

"What can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

"Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee."

"This heap is a witness between me and thee this day" (Genesis 31:43-44,48).

Notice how witnesses are employed in all these examples.

Because of the covenant they become spiritually begotten sons and daughters of Christ.

The Name of Christ

As a major component of the covenant, the people take upon themselves the name of Christ. This is always associated with temple covenants. The dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith through direct revelation according to his written statement. In the dedicatory prayer was this plea:

"And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them" (D&C 109:22).

That's certainly a lot of power! In the Aaronic Priesthood ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, we become "willing" to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ (see D&C 20:77). This willingness step, like the Twelve Steps, is preparatory for temple ordinances where we actually take His name upon us, or have His name placed upon us, as the above verse suggests.

For the recovering addict (and actually for all of us) the path becomes clear as to where the Lord would like to lead us with the Twelve Steps.